The "build great content" advice is clearly overused, but for good reason - great content attracts great links and the invaluable attention of the Linkerati. The only problem is... what makes great content? And more specifically, where can you get these content ideas? Well, I can't solve all these issues, but I figured a short post highlighting a few of my favorite (and more unique) content techniques would be valuable.
- Be the News
Because news is such an inherently link-worthy content archetype, and one that attracts lots of link attention, I like it as a content strategy. But, while reporting on the news is valuable, making the news is better. If you can "create" - literally craft - the event, media or topic that's headline worthy, you're in a very good spot. Being first to break the news doesn't always get you the scoop on the web (unless you're already an authority), but being the source does. - Aggregate Interesting Data
Does your company have access to proprietary information about a market, a service, a group of people or an event? If so, you've got the opportunity to slice and dice that information and present it in ways that will draw the web's interest. The more compelling your data deconstruction and analysis, and the prettier your visualizations, the more links and attention you'll earn. - Visualize Someone Else's Data
OK, so you don't have access to some incredibly cool information source that will bring in the links. Never fear! You don't need to own the data to earn links and mentions from analysis and visualization. There are literally millions of data sources publicly available on the web, and in many industries, there may even be opportunities to scrape data (legally) or barter/trade/buy data from the organization that does control it. - Make Your Niche Social
Even though it may seem that the Web2.0 era is maturing, there's still a ton of opportunity to create a mouthpiece or UGC platform in arenas that are currently missing them. You don't need to be the next Digg or Reddit or Facebook for your industry; in fact, you might even benefit from thinking smaller and more niche. What about becoming a catalog of simple votes on issues affecting your world or providing a micro-feedback or rating system for brands, services, companies or people in your ecosystem? The beauty of UGC is that all those people who contribute will be more likely to share your platform once they have - it's an inherent human trait to want to show off anything you've contributed to, and UGC is no different. - Host the Controversy
Many brand are afraid of creating controversy for links, and for good reason. But, you don't need to be the source of controversy to benefit from it. Take two opposing sides in your niche and let them duke it out - on your blog/site. Highlight the different viewpoints without taking sides (or do take sides once it's over, if you're willing) and you can become the "media outlet" that earns all the links from the attention others are creating for you. - Track Your Ecosphere
Are there dozens of blogs and sites already competing for attention in your space? If so, you might benefit greatly by becoming the signal to noise filter for your industry. Instead of worrying about generating the content, just take what everyone else is saying (either manually or using intelligent, automated collection and filtering system a la Techmeme) and become the single, "best" outlet for what's being produced. Becoming a leader in the attention filtering space has tremendous opportunity and it's something I think we're going to see more and more of in the web's future.
Any favorite "great content" tactics you like to use to build value?
A pretty obvious one, but it's often overlooked...
Track industry forums and Yahoo answers for common questions from potential customers. At the same time, get all customer-facing staff to look out for issues that crop up most often. Then write articles or create tools on your site to answer these questions.
Not only will you get direct traffic from customers searching for answers, but you'll also get the links from related sites.
Bish bash dosh.
I sometimes write about problems I solved for clients or things that I've discussed on forums, but I hadn't thought of deliberately seeking them out. Here's a related, intentional strategy I have been using:
1. Start by finding what unintended search terms brought people to your site.
2. Look for things that are related to your overall theme but that you didn't address in the post that Google/SE found.
3. Do a useful and properly-keyworded write-up on the subject, because if your unrelated post was high enough for them to click, then a related one should do even better and get links. Obviously there isn't enough yet on the subject (or on that way of phrasing it).
Great list Rand.
I must say I follow this blog daily, and this will be my first comment. I really like this list, nice and creative ways to build links. I just want to chat a bit about your second point, Aggregate Interesting Data.
I do some work on a website that is about the agriculture industry and obviously there is always news on it, droughts, economy, seasons etc. I have access to all this info and more. I can turn this info into a daily news column for people in the industry. Where I am from there is no real competition on the web for agriculture so it will be the first of its kind.
Am I on the right track here?
Totally agreed, another most pleasant post, and Point 2 was a much needed slap on the face to wake me up...
I hit a brick wall for a 'link generation' project with a client, it's been a stale process so far with this one to be honest.. They should have some good localised data for their industry though, perhaps I can use it on their site, hmmm :)
Thanks Rand, and good luck petepan with your agriculture project.
I think you're on the complete right track, particularly if you're optimizing for the regional/local market on news, or even the national/international scene if there isn't a lot of news resources for your area.
Visualizing and organizing what others have created is my favorite one. I have a passion for putting data into tables (well, you have probably noticed, I guess :)) and while I have invented nothing new so far, this unique method of putting data together has attracted much attention. Therefore I always recommend thinking of new ways of organizing yourself and info you go through.
This follows closely to your "Be The News" tip, but a little less important: Bring stuff that is offline online.
Most of my good real estate content is nothing more than community or neighborhood profiles (pictures with some write-ups).
Photographers who take lots of pictures of their cities and towns and then host them on their own website (as opposed to Flickr) also do really well.
Sometimes to get good online content - we have to turn off the computer, get up from our desks and walk out our front door.
Put a few more case details to this paper and it could have been one of your PRO-Content papers. Brilliantly done.
That is true Mert. I agree with you.
I like the idea about be the news and track your ecosphere.
It is helpful to get popular online and get some inbound links.
Thanks Rank.
I agree. On my own blog I have a section for News that deals primarily with I.T. related information. It does very well as far as links.
I had to laugh when I heard that the most popular video on You Tube this morning was a video of a group of beagles that were locked in a huge cage. The theme from Mission Impossible was playing and we watched one brave beagle inch his way out of the cage through a loose connection at the top of the 8 foot cage. He did manage to escape.
What is getting the attention of many people seems to be the fun ordinary, yet unusual things we all see on a regular basis. The idea of making the news goes right along with the results of this doggie escape.
Wow...amazing.
Yesterday I stumbled upon SeoMoz to see what the blog is about.
Today I signed up on the RSS feed.
Tonight I discovered this wonderful post.
Wow :)
If your content is interesting and informative, it will help you pre-sell to your visitor. It entices them to stay and to click through your web site. The longer they stay, the greater the chance that they will click on one of your 'sell' links.:)
Great stuff, man. Creative ideas and inspiration for my business is something I look for always, while scouring the net. Hitting the news first, although apparently easy, is, in my opinion, quite the most difficult of tasks, simply because of the sheer volume of people already covering a respective niche.
Great list Rand,
I have been doing variations of these without actually organizing them into categories.
Once it is organized into simple categories like this it will be easier to track and exicute.
Thanks again.
I say start using EVERY social network until you have found your niche that you like and gives results. Remember you won't know until you have tried the all or most of them. Just don't exhaust yourself with doing all of them you need to be time and cost efficient. I put the links to sites ill be the most active in the footer of my carpet cleaning website.
If you look at all the top websites, including blogs of course, you'll find that all their content falls into one of Rand's categories. Great advice from Rand as always.
I'm taking this opportunity to wish Rand and Mystery Guest a wonderful day and a happy life together. Congratulations.
Great tips here Rand. I couldn't agree more on it. I have tried the concept of visualizing other's data in my site and found great results out of it.
Thanks for sharing valuable ideas here.
I think after reading this i feel that i am on the right track.
I have developed a adventure sports portal in India which contains all the information about all the places of adventure in India.
Aggregating data is difficult job but it pays in the end. We have been working on data from last 8 months,also we caught a niche for us ,there are plenty of websites selling adventure stuff but not hvg information.
Now i have to do something to be in news. ;)
Thanks Rand and i must say SEOMOZ is one of the best resource for SEO
I'm bookmarking this.
These are the types of posts you keep in your tool bag for emergency jump starts.
Great stuff Rand
It's amazing a post over a year old can make you look at everything in a new way and suggest creative ideas for your outlook.
I totally agree. It is also important is to place some strategic keywords within your content and I think you did a pretty good job with this one for the term "content ideas for websites". ;)
Excellent post!
As always, the best ways to increase the SEO of your website also happen to be great ideas anyway.
Adding unique value for the long term is the only way any business can survive, and websites are no exception.
Nice blog post,I like the idea about "being the news", it creates buzz around your site, and attracts loads of natural links, something I will definately consider for some of my sites.
Good Luck for the wedding :)
Good post Rand - I've found working in ecommerce in a fairly niche area that listening to customer questions, and building a sort of library of information around that works really well - and provides a resource which (hopefully) others in the area will refer/link to.
When you're selling something, the customer journey is paramount, and so thinking about the customer; what they want to know, how they find you, how they research products, is the best way to start building your 'good content'.
I especially like the 'make your niche social' tip. that is actually something we are working on right now, and it is turning out to be more fun and interesting than I ever imagined. Some niches are still virgins and could greatly benefit from someone(s) stepping in and giving the niche a path(s) to socialization.
I've found that you can become an expert through social media sites like LinkedIn too. I'm not sure if answering and asking questions on LinkedIn actually helps linking directly but most likely indirectly by driving those seeing you as an expert to go to your site.
Great post as always, thanks!
I think if you can establish yourself as an expert on those sites the rate of acquiring direct links definitely increases. Definitely takes a lot of time to make it to that level, but would be worth it to get good quality links I'd think. (depending on each situation of course)
Thank you for outlining some ways to create good content. I was still thinking of content useful to my customers and potential customers which is missing the point of how to get new customers there in the first place. We do have data that we could use to generate some interest. We have considered this in the past and in some cases viewed it as proprietary and in others potentially controversial but perhaps that can be good.
By scrapping content legally - what does that mean ? like say for example you buy alexa top 1000 sites and display it publicly on your site ? Is something like that allowed ?
On #1 "Being first to break the news doesn't always get you the scoop on the web (unless you're already an authority), but being the source does. "
So even if you put the NEWS out there before ANYONE else......a website with higher PR would look better upon Google than your own website?
Completely agree with you Rand, however its a tricky position trying to persuade others to invest in this content and take the risk.
I've seen several situations where directors simply say "Dont want to take that risk" or "Thats not what were about" with potentially massive linkbait (I'm talking Google'esque linkbait) and its tough to persuade them to go for this kind of thing.
I suppose one issue is that a lot of the above area's are one's that are traditionally PR departments area's and whilst those PR peeps are desperate to get online, they dont...so my great content tip would be to work with every department - PR, Comm's, Product teams etc and find out what content they're planning or could do!
I am always looking for creative inspiration and this blog gave it.
Thanks!